Category Archives: blogging

HOW TO EDIT MY FACEBOOK “FRIENDS” LIST
Have I had any substantive communication with this person in the past 6 months? If yes, keep. If no, ask:
Am I interested in hearing about what is going on currently in this person’s life? If yes, keep. If no, ask:
Do I believe this person can add to my life in a positive way now or in the future? If yes, keep. If no, ask:
Is this person a member of my family? If yes, keep. If no, DELETE!

Ron Byrnes clarifies something about blogging that I’ve wondered about, but never quite been able to wrap my mind around. The different types of blogging that people produce.

He says: “I’m not entirely sure, but I have some hypotheses. Think of the blogosphere in terms of a continuum with writers either off the stage altogether, on the stage’s edge, or center stage. Put differently, there are blogs focused almost exclusively on impersonal specialized content of some sort; other blogs that focus on the sometimes personal application of relatively impersonal specialized content, and blogs whose content is in essence the personal details of the author’s life.”

I think it’s a useful tool for all of us who indulge in chats. A few weeks ago I accepted a friend request from an old friend. As I read her writings I discovered that she had become, in the decades since we last met, decidedly right-wing in her politics and religion. Also she was active in the obnoxious (to me) games that clutter FaceBook pages. She sent me four posts, 3 of them reprimanding me for various comments I had made on these pages. Feeling that I didn’t really need either the stimulus of her positions or criticisms (not that they are wrong or unimportant to her), I decided to reaffirm my feeling that chats are for warm interchange and fun. I blocked her.

I also take people off my FaceBook “friends” from time to time because I only want to have 40. More than that and I find myself spending more time on it than I want to. Folks that only lurk (don’t contribute) Or who CNN describes in its piece quoted above get quietly axed.

Nothing personal here. Feelings shouldn’t be hurt, but often are. But to paraphrase my hero, Jesus, a bit. FaceBook was made for us, not us for FaceBook.

I’m in the process of rethinking and restructuring my 2 blogs and FaceBook work. Good for the soul from time to time. I find that I burn out a bit every year or so and have to renew. Hence my occasional sabbaticals. That’s where I am right now. No hurry!

On the FaceBook page, I reduced my friends (contacts) from 84 to the low 60’s. Just couldn’t keep up with that many people. Will be cutting at least 25 more in next few weeks. I believe that FaceBook exists for its subscriber, not subscribers for FaceBook.

I want to have a small group of interesting people on my page – who actually communicate on FB – as opposed to just passively watching, lurking. Not necessarily with each other, but just saying something interesting now and then. I realize that FB is primarily a vehicle for lonely young people – or, maybe bored young people. It is their turf, not mine! At the same time, I see it as a potentially valuable tool for staying in touch with some folks, sharing things of interest and keeping one another alive. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. It takes a lot of tweaking and adjusting to mould FaceBook into a tool that fits one’s personal style, needs and interests.

The endless tests, tweets and cutesys that keep cropping up on its pages make FB what it naturally is, I suppose, but they drive me nuts. There is too much trivia in life as it is. After all one’s FB page is one’s own and should be tempered to be useful and friendly on an individual basis, not as part of some popular herd mentality.

Call me grumpy or a rugged individualist, but I really do believe FB can be a positive useful tool in daily life. Something like a second cup of coffee – bracing, reflective, and constructive. I haven’t given up on it yet, but am determined to give it a fair chance to be a regular on my daily personal essentials list.